This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1920. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

This property's continuous use as a laundry operation from approximately 1920 spans decades when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies — carrying no effective pollution exclusion — were the industry standard. The investigation and monitoring expenditures already incurred here — more than a decade of soil and groundwater sampling, a vapor intrusion assessment, and well re-development — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated to reimburse. With active remediation not yet commenced, the larger cleanup expenditures still lie ahead, and those forward costs could also be funded by the same pre-1986 CGL policies tied to the property's long laundry operation history.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.